Published: May 30, 2007 11:59 am      

'Beary' Wild Weekend

Bruins on move in Westernport

WESTERNPORT - Westernport Police Commissioner Tammy Kady said it is unusual to see a bear in the middle of town, until Memorial Day weekend, that is.

Since Friday, at least two, and maybe even three bears have spent time in various Westernport neighborhoods, one taking up residence in a tree on Vine Street on Monday and staying there until it was tranquilized and moved by a Maryland Department of Natural Resources crew Tuesday morning.

"I was on foot patrol on Spruce Street with one of our police officers Monday about 5:30 (p.m.) when somebody told us there was a bear on Vine Street," Kady said. "When we got there, a crowd of people had already formed to see the bear."

Kady said a local resident, whose dog would not stop barking, eventually spotted the bear in the tree and alerted others to its presence.

Kady said DNR responded that evening, but decided to leave the bear alone, hoping it would climb down and move off overnight. Such was not the case and Tuesday morning the DNR crew returned to take care of business.

The 154-pound female bear was tranquilized while in the tree. Although a net was set up, the bear missed the safety device when it fell from the tree.

"We put a radio collar on it and ear-tagged it and released it on the Dan's Mountain Wildlife Management Area," said Wildlife Biologist Clarissa Harris. "Although the bear didn't land in the net, it walked off on its own when we released it and didn't appear to be injured."

Harris said Vine Street area residents told her that people watched the bear all Monday night and shined lights on it.

"That wouldn't give it much of a chance to leave on its own," Harris said.

Bear sightings began in Westernport on Friday night when Joe Cangianelli spotted a bear in his yard on Kalbaugh Street.

"First he was in the front yard messing with bird feeders there, but they were empty. Then he went to the back yard and pulled down a bird feeder there," Cangianelli said. "It was about 5 feet tall when it stood on its back legs."Westernport police responded, but the bear had already left, Cangianelli said, though it or another bear returned to his yard Monday.

A bear sighted Monday on Philos Avenue could be the bear that was seen by Cangianelli that same day, Kady speculated.

Harris said bears are very active in Western Maryland right now.

Michael A. Sawyers can be reached at msawyers@times-news.com.